Kings of Leon at the O2 Arena

Sexy: that’s exactly the word to describe last night’s concert. Let’s face it, the Followills are undeniably a bunch of sexy guys, and the show was no less so.

With fans buying (expensive) tickets last minute, it was clear that the gig was not to be missed, literally at any cost. Before the band got onstage, aside from one far too excited boy chanting the lead singer’s name and singing out loud on his own (fun at first then increasingly annoying), people actually waited quietly. However, the O2 Arena built in a volcano of excitement, and when Kings Of Leon finally arrived, the crowd simply erupted.

Some enjoyed the act with quiet understatement, others revelled in Caleb’s raucous voice, in the energy flowing from the guitars and in the hammering beats pumping from the drums, dancing in a hectic frenzy soon transformed into a mosh pit, with mixed reactions.  Either way, Kings of Leon delivered a powerful performance that satisfied all.

The group played for nearly two hours, mixing old favourites from the previous albums and introducing a couple of new tracks (Super Soaker and It Don’t Matter) from the forthcoming record, Mechanical Bull. Though the raging, up-tempo tracks dominated, the wise setlist balanced more vigorous songs like Taper Jean Girl or Sex On Fire with ballads such as Revelry or Pyro, which saw the audience either singing along as an enormous choir or letting loose, everyone consistently thrilled. Cold Desert was particularly touching and the heavily requested Use Somebody in the encore had stadium magnitude.

The brief interruptions between each song and the next only resulted in a crescendo of emotions, with people’s expectations inflamed by their bets to guess the next track. One thing for sure is well-known: any track Kings Of Leon are on is the right one. Overall, a mind-blowing, intense show well worth waiting for.

Rita Vicinanza

For further information and future events visit Kings of Leon’s website here.

Watch a live performance of Don’t Matter here: